The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to measurement devices and, more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for detecting blade tip clearance and axial shift for a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, with an annular flow path extending axially through each. Initially, air flows through the compressor where it is compressed or pressurized. The combustor then mixes and ignites the compressed air with fuel, generating hot combustion gases. These hot combustion gases are then directed from the combustor to the turbine where power is extracted from the hot gases by causing blades of the turbine to rotate.
The compressor and turbine sections include multiple rotors and stators configured to enable optimal operation. Gas turbine engines maintain an optimal clearance (distance) between the tips of the rotor blade and an outside diameter of a gas path within the turbine engine, and thereby provide the conditions necessary to achieve a desired performance. The blade tips may cut into the outer diameter when the blade tips extend radially outward. The radial depth of cut and the axial length of the cut may both affect the efficiency of the gas turbine engine.